E3: Child of Eden gameplay

Tetsuya Mizuguchi tried and almost proved something we all thought impossible after Microsoft's press conference: Yes, it's possible to make real games with Kinect. Video proof inside with this demo of Child of Eden.

Posted by FooBest Kinect title! The system seller for me. I love Q, Mizuguchi and Rez,

Hear hear, total killer app material for me and a true highlight of the show so far. I would go wild just seeing Mizu stand in front of a light show waving, admittedly, but this is also Rez effing 2!

Me, 6'ish hours before the show:

Posted by me6hourspriortoshowSomeone (halfway credible) threw Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Kinect in the same sentence and I'm ready to shell out. Building on something like Rez is EXACTLY the kind of abstract experience that could be enormously awesome with a wholly body/motion controlled interface.

The official trailer shows PS3 at the end, I'd say they've decided it already... And the Kinect demo didn't quite impress me yet in terms of having as little lag as I'd like in a game like Rez. Move seems better suited for this game...

"Yes, it's possible to make real games with Kinect."

It's not a question if you can make "real" games with it. Of course we always knew games like this is possible. The real question is, can anything else but on-rails games be made for Kinect. So far we've only seen games where you're only partly in control what happens to the characters on screen and you automatically move forward/where you need to go. What I'm interested in seeing is a game like Zelda or Metroid possible. The sword swinging, aiming and all that is possible, but that means jack shit if 100% of the games are on rails. There may be a few games like Child of Eden that are so brilliant that it doesn't matter, but at some point you'll want more substance and control than is given to you.

So... Still not sold on Kinect. While this game will surely be great, it hasn't removed the doubts of Kinect being capable of something MORE.

A few questions. OK, so when playing the game with Kinect, will you...

...need to wear white gloves?
...always be in a standing position?
...always be in a brightly-lit room?
...constantly wave your hand in order to "fire"?

I hope the game has Move support. That way you can play while seated on the couch, in a pitch black room (it's more ideal for these synaesthetic/psychedelic-type games), and fire your weapon with the trigger button.

Posted by ThanatophageThat way you can play while seated on the couch, in a pitch black room (it's more ideal for these synaesthetic/psychedelic-type games), and fire your weapon with the trigger button.

No you can't and yes you can, you need to be proper visible just as kinect because.... ha ha, it need to track with a camera also: busted.

it can be played in pitch black. alien technology.

Posted by ThanatophageWouldn't using a controller defeat the purpose of the entire thing?

No, using kinect just as a Add-on for already existing games like move is doing, that is failing hard. Back to the box if that the case.

What is needed are exclusive games for the controler in mind, don't care if it uses a hand, Two hads, a controller or your ass... design in mind so it works without flaws with the game concept.

Posted by mattdamonNo you can't and yes you can, you need to be proper visible just as kinect because.... ha ha, it need to track with a camera also: busted.

it can be played in pitch black. alien technology.

Wh-huh?? I have no idea what you just said...

It doesn't appear like the camera would be able to track you as well in low-light settings. Mizuguchi is standing beneath a bright spotlight while the console and camera is in darkness (I doubt many of us have a similar setup in our living rooms). He's also wearing white gloves and a dark/black blazer.

Posted by mattdamonNo, using kinect just as a Add-on for already existing games like move is doing, that is failing hard. Back to the box if that the case.

What is needed are exclusive games for the controler in mind, don't care if it uses a hand, Two hads, a controller or your ass... design in mind so it works without flaws with the game concept.

Uh, there are exclusive games for Move. I can barely understand you... your syntax is all wonky.

Yeah, it supports regular controllers, too. What is unclear is if you'll be able to use a controller while you're using Kinect (with this game). I did see Xbox controller button prompts in the rafting game (Kinect Adventures, is it?). Not sure I'd want to be flailing my arms about with an untethered wireless controller in my hand though...

Posted by ThanatophageA few questions. OK, so when playing the game with Kinect, will you...

...need to wear white gloves?
...always be in a standing position?
...always be in a brightly-lit room?
...constantly wave your hand in order to "fire"?

I hope the game has Move support. That way you can play while seated on the couch, in a pitch black room (it's more ideal for these synaesthetic/psychedelic-type games), and fire your weapon with the trigger button.

i still can't believe how ignorant (and lacking of imagination) people are about Kinect. OK, so Microsoft didn't help themselves with their slightly lame E3 conference this year, but still.

The "spotlight and white gloves" are clearly for presentation purposes. Kinect uses infrared 3D motion capture and depth sensor which means that any game that doesn't need the RGB camera (which I'm sure Child Of Eden doesn't) could be played in total darkness. (Although it never would be since your TV would produce some light anyway.)

For people lacking imagination and not undertanding how you can move characters and perform actions such as shooting, let me give you an example. Imagine that you're standing on a big analogue stick (the equivalent of the left stick on a joypad) so you can step or even just lean in any direction to move in that direction. Then imagine that the other analogue stick is floating in the air and you can use a hand/arm to move that for moving the game camera for instance. As well as that you can use your other hand/arm as a cursor for shooting games for example. Then you can perhaps make a fist to shoot (like in the movie Gamer, the home player in that uses a Kinect-style controller) or flick your hand up (as if the gun was recoiling) which is how you shoot in the paintball game in Deca Sports Freedom. (At least according to the trailer.)

There are numerous other possibilities for all kinds of games, it just requires the developers to have good imaginations and if you use your imagination and understand the 3D motion capture part of Kinect you'll understand why it's not just a Wii or Eye Toy. (Or both like the Move, which should be some where between a Wii Motion Plus and Kinect.)

Also I do actually hope that developers include sitting down controls, lol! (Due to illness Kinect will actually be a bit of a nightmare for me if they don't.) I'm sure it's possible since they could map the "left analogue stick" part of a game's control to your foot and you could move that around in front of you while sitting down rather than standing up and moving in different directions.

KORNdog
that's my understanding of it anyway based on the little i've read about it. seems like it'll happen though. (22 minutes ago)

KORNdog
less risks (not like ubi are particualrly great in that regard anyway) and just barrier for them to do their job. (24 minutes ago)

KORNdog
@Moonwalker: it would be a conglomerate and that can be creatively very limiting if they don't fully understand the industry they've just dipped their toe in by buying a major publisher. (24 minutes ago)

Sdarts
Also, for the first time in BioWare's history, they are finally using full facial capture to record the actor's performance. Plus its the first time the Mass Effect team is using the Frostbite engine. (32 minutes ago)

nostradamus
@Moonwalker: well, i'll on a leg and say its a "lie". It seems on par with DA:I, and if they think thats fine for a reveal trailer, then it doesn't bode well for the final product. (39 minutes ago)

nostradamus
almost finishing jak and daxter. So much fun. Whay are a pos knack 2 being made, and not a new Jak? (46 minutes ago)